Beer review – Scarlet Macaw, Oakham Ales

As a simple, fickle man, I’m drawn to beers with pretty labels. In this case, the description of extreme bitterness and “pugnacious” American hops on the back fell upon deaf ears. Just a picture of a friendly parrot was enough to convince me that I simply had to have it.

Scarlet Macaw is a pale copper in colour with a bright white head. There’s a strong, peachy aroma – not dissimilar to the Golden Glory but much less sweet. The hops come through a lot stronger in this beer.

To taste, the Macaw is an interesting experience. It has a nice little effervescent tang as it bounces off the tongue. Citrussy and bitter at the start, with flavours of grapefruit or blood orange coming through strongly. That’s followed by a slightly smokey aftertaste and a dry, astringent finish.

All the talk of extra bitter hops on the bottle made me worry I wouldn’t like this, but it’s actually pretty good. 4/5, would happily drink this again.